Saying Goodbye To One Season While Making Space for Something New

Writing is cathartic for me, and a lot of what I’ve written today will never make its way to the internet. However, tonight I'm grateful for this outlet, and I think it's helpful to acknowledge some of my feelings.

I taught my last college class today and feel mixed emotions about it. When I started teaching a few years ago, I developed courses that I believed would be helpful to my students, and I can confidently say they were empowering for them and for me.

Teaching at the college level has been satisfying. I built curriculums for courses around topics that I love, and I had the privilege of encouraging students, many of whom are contending for their educations. I have an incredible amount of respect for students like them because I was that student not so long ago, and I’m thankful for the people throughout my educational journey who remind me to keep going.

It’s bittersweet to know that I’m not on the schedule for next semester. I’m looking forward to making space for the new things I’m doing professionally, and I’m also sad to be whispering a quiet, unacknowledged goodbye to a place that felt like home to me for an entire decade.

Having resigned from my staff position in the spring, I knew my teaching days would probably be numbered as well, but I'm glad I was able to finish the year. It was important to me to leave the department in good standing, and I did.

Moving on isn’t always easy even when it’s the right thing, so I’m holding space in my heart and mind to grieve that tonight. As for teaching, I love it, so I’m confident I’ll do it again. And as for Tulane, I’m still a student at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and I’m on track to earn my doctorate in May 2025.

Have you ever grieved the loss of something even though you know it’s the right thing? I’ve grieved relationships, jobs, etc., and it’s healthy. I allow myself to grieve those things because it’s important to acknowledge the sadness from loss even when we know it’s best, when it feels heartbreaking or unfair, or when we choose it, etc.

I’m looking forward to starting the new year fresh with new goals and a revitalized sense of purpose after spending Christmas in Colorado with my family.

What are you looking forward to or leaving behind as you move into 2023?